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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. object — an aim
  13. mine — for digging
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. object — to protest
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. object — a thing
  21. press — newspapers
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com